My First Live Hockey Match

I have always enjoyed watching winter sports on TV. In Poland they have frequent live transmissions of ski jumping, slalom and other winter sports competitions on main TV channels. Watching it was a kind of a custom and quite nice entertainment too. From time to time, we also observed hockey matches, especially when the Polish team was taking part in a tournament.
That is why, when we got tickets for a hockey game, I was really happy about it. However, I need to mention that I experienced my first live hockey game not in Poland but here, in TX. Considering how little the hot Texas climate has to do with any winter sport, I find it rather funny.
Anyway, I looked forward to seeing hockey live. At least I knew something about its rules and did not have to learn them to understand the game (as it had been at the ball park). To my surprise, the speed of the real game was much, much faster that it seemed while watching the sport on TV. Actually, it was stunningly fast. We had good seats so we could see the entire ice rink and all the players. They were moving so quickly that I could hardly follow them and see where the puck was. Television cameras usually show only a part of what is really going on the ice. It is obvious of course but you most often do not think about it when you experience a TV transmission. Being able too see it all at once, in real, changed the perspective a lot. In a positive way. It made the game much more involving and really exciting!
What is more, with the information given by a TV commentator you know what is happening, even if you cannot see it or miss something.  While watching the live game, I found it really surprising how very often the new players were joining it. Again and again a new one was entering the rink, due to some changes which happened during the game. And I loved the dynamics of the live game. Much better than seen on TV!
Studying the little booklet provided by the event organizers, I discovered that some of the players came from various European countries, including the north of Europe. Like me! Except the hockey match itself, it also made me feel being part of the spectacle which we were watching. I was not an alien, the only one among the spectators who did not know the sport and the rules of the game. Just the opposite, I was enjoying it because I was finding new things in something I was familiar with too.
It would be fun to watch a live hockey match once more!

Stars vs Penguins